Homemade Easter bunny cupcakes are the cutest little spring treat! And all you need are vanilla cupcakes and a few basic pantry items! This "recipe" is actually more of a decorating tutorial. To make these bunny cupcakes with marshmallow ears, you need a batch of already-baked cupcakes. We really love rainbow sprinkle cupcakes or basic vanilla cupcakes but you can use any flavour you like.
You also need a batch of homemade frosting (not canned frosting, it's too runny). If you need a recipe try this American-style vanilla buttercream or classic cream cheese icing. Other than that all you need is a piping bag, a small star decorating tip, and some standard pantry items like marshmallows and chocolate chips. Happy decorating!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Frosting: use any homemade frosting you like. It must be thick enough to hold its shape after piping—this is why we don't recommend using canned frosting. It's too runny.
- Chocolate Chips: use any chocolate chips you want. If you're using chocolate frosting, try white chocolate chips.
- Marshmallows: you need both large and mini marshmallows. Fresh ones will taste best and have the best texture.
- Use different colours: for a fun and colourful alternative, try tinting your frosting pink and using multi-coloured large and mini marshmallows.
Method
Step 1: pipe small rosettes of icing around the edge of a cupcake.
Step 2: fill the middle with rosettes and repeat for all of the cakes.
Step 3: add upside-down chocolate chips as the eyes for your bunnies.
Step 4: place round pink sprinkles for the noses.
Step 5: cut a standard marshmallow in half diagonally.
Step 6: squeeze and shape the marshmallows to make them look like bunny ears.
Step 7: add the marshmallow ears to each cupcake.
Step 8: use halved mini marshmallows for the cheeks. Your Easter bunny cupcakes are ready!
Top Tips
- Add more sugar: if your frosting is too runny to pipe, try adding some powdered sugar to stiffen.
- No sprinkles, no problem: alternatives to pink sprinkles for noses are halved jelly beans, ruby chocolate chips, or even pink frosting.
- Use the right tip: you need a small star piping tip to make Easter bunny cupcakes. We used a Wilton Open Star Tip 21.
- For the nest cupcakes: we also have images of Easter nest cupcakes in this post. To make, simply frost a cupcake, then cover the top with toasted coconut. Add candied chocolate eggs and voila!
How To Store Easter Bunny Cupcakes
Storage: like most baked goods, these cupcakes are best eaten fresh. To store, we recommend sealing them in a large airtight container with a lid that won't touch the decorated tops.
Freezing: the cupcakes shouldn't be frozen after decorating. While it is possible, the frosting might split as it thaws – and while that's easy to fix in a bowl, it's not to easy when it's already on a cupcake.
FAQ
What is the best icing to use for decorating cupcakes?
Buttercream is the easiest icing to use for cupcakes, and keeps its shape well even after piping. Cream cheese frosting is good if you're planning on serving immediately or can keep the cakes refrigerated.
Is icing or frosting better for cupcakes?
The terms are used interchangeably, especially depending on where you are, but frosting does refer to a thicker, more structured topping that's better suited to desserts like these bunny cupcakes.
Do you ice cupcakes hot or cold?
Cupcakes must be fully cooled before frosting or icing. If they're still warm, the topping will melt and ruin the look. To be extra sure, you can chill the cupcakes for about 15 minutes before decorating.
If you make this Easter Bunny Cupcake recipe or any other cake recipes on the Baked Collective, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more baking, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Easter Bunny Cupcakes
Equipment
- Piping bag
- Small star piping tip Wilton Open Star 21
- Scissors
Ingredients
- 1 batch vanilla cupcakes baked and cooled
- 1 batch vanilla frosting
- Chocolate chips
- Round pink sprinkles for noses
- Large marshmallows
- Mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Fit a piping bag with a small star tip (like the Wilton Open Star 21) and fill it with frosting.
- Begin by piping a small wreath of tiny rosettes around the outside edge of a cupcake. To do this, gently squeeze the bag and lift it quickly straight up. Repeat all around the outside edge.
- Finish the frosting by filling in the inside top of the cupcake with more tiny rosettes. Repeat on all cupcakes.
- Gently press chocolate chips, upside down with the flat bottom facing up, into the frosting of each cupcakes to make eyes.
- Lightly press round pink sprinkles under the chocolate chip eyes to make noses.
- Use scissors to cut large marshmallows in half on the diagonal. Use your hands to gently squish and flatten the marshmallow halves to make rabbit ears. Carefully press the ears into each side above the eyes.
- Again, use the scissors to cut mini marshmallows in half across the width to make two smaller disc shapes. Lightly flatten the discs and attach two under the nose to make "whiskers". Serve and enjoy!